Effect on Team with Palacios Out

So we have started to have some continuity in the side, and have been seeing the results from that continuity, and now things will be changing. While I would love to see Wilson Palacios' red card overturned by the FA, I don't think the chances of that happening are too good.

So we'll see Wilson out at least one game and more than likely two to three, through West Ham, Newcastle and Man United more than likely. The question now becomes what will Harry do with this while Wilson is watching from the stands?

The most obvious answer is to slot in Didier Zokora into Palacios' slot. No Spurs fan can ever question Zokora's work-rate, it's his passing that has always let us down. I think one of the reasons for our resurgence has been the incisive passing by Palacios at times and switching us into attack quickly. Didier is not going to do that, but he'll tackle anyone and everyone around.

One of the other options would be to put in Tom Huddlestone in the midfield with Jenas. One thing you certainly get with Tom is the passing ability, but his tackling and decision-making at times can certainly be lacking. But he can hit that cross field pass on a dime, so that is another option.

Harry has to decide what he would rather have, tough tackling in the midfield or the incisive passing heading into attack? I think we'll see him choose the option of the tackling shoring up the midfield, and more pressure will be put onto JJ to launch the club into attack.

The thing that would be ideal, but is not even an option because of his injury situation would be to have Ledley King in that holding midfield role. He has the tackling and passing ability to stand in for Palacios, but his knees couldn't take that type of pounding.

I still don't think Wilson's second yellow was deserved, but that's how things go, and we should not be so reliant on one player, if we are a good side, we should be fine. Are the hopes of Europe dead now? Perhaps, though West Ham is certainly a winnable game, as are Newcastle, West Brom and Man City, all at home. We even nicked Liverpool earlier this season, so it's not out of the realm of possibility. But Europe does seem a far off place now doesn't it? It does seem weird writing this as everyone from 8-11 in the table lost this weekend, so I'll see this as an opportunity lost to move up.